For long-time fans of the franchise, Dynasty Warriors 9 feels like it has its heart in the right place, but the implementation of the open world and MMO mechanics feels dated, creating a bland experience that does not do the colorful series justice.

Although an improved sequel, there is both good and bad in Star Wars Battlefront II. Class-based troopers and a smart reinforcement system are hindered by horrid progression. The large modes succeed, when there are no bottlenecks or balance issues. And if the single player cared about its main character, then it would have complimented the game’s astounding presentation.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD has moments of entertaining mayhem, but they are hidden beneath layers of dated gameplay, nonsensical story, and gated behind a high asking price. Instead of being able to potentially discover a lost classic, mech fans get a rusted out blast from the past.

Gear.Club Unlimited may be the only racing car game on the Nintendo Switch for the moment, but it squanders this early lead on a repetitive career, underwhelming presentation and functional, but uninspired gameplay with a price that feels too high.

Blanc is a game with heart, and it'll definitely bring you and a player two together. I can't recommend it over some other recent co-op outings, but it's still an experience worth having if you can ignore a couple of issues.

Biomutant bites off more radioactive waste than it can chew. It's an action game with a multitude of ambitions, but none of them are fully realized. The very dated presentation and poor performance only further hamper its already weakened potential.

Windbound offers a simply adequate sailing adventure. The crafting system is predictable, the story simplistic, and the world is beautiful but quite empty. You might find some enjoyment from the bigger islands toward the end of the game, but not everyone will have the patience to make it that far.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is an enjoyable enough adventure, but it’s missing a hook to get players invested. The game wants you to get lost in the economy and exploration it offers, but in just performing these menial tasks for their own sake it fails to create any moments where the entire experience is more than a series of distractions.

ELEX 2 has a distinctive approach to RPG game design and an engaging story, but while it finally bucks the trend of having technical issues at launch, there's still much work to be done on the quality of combat and presentation.

A polished, well-presented skin wrapped around thoroughly unremarkable stealth fundamentals. Serial Cleaner is not an actively antagonistic experience, just draining and unrewarding.

Guiding a clan of primates through generations as they evolve certainly makes for a unique experience, and there are times when Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey comes together. But a lack of guidance on basic gameplay mechanics, as well as some clumsy controls and unsuccessfully executed ideas, make for a highly uneven game.

Planet of the Eyes is a thoroughly average platformer that needed more in order to stand out. The mood of the game crafted by Cococucumber is solid, but the gameplay just doesn’t measure up to even the most basic platformers out there. There’s just not enough here to make the game worth recommending.

We Happy Few contains moments of enjoyment and artistic brilliance, but they are short lived, and - like a Joy withdrawal - the eventual comedown of the clunky, burdensome reality of the gameplay seeps in. A classic case of style over substance.

Sea of Solitude dives into a broad range of mental issues and treats them carefully enough to be both educational and emotional. It’s just a pity that the bland gameplay drowns out some of its best parts.

Super Lucky's Tale looks and sounds pleasant, and its charming world and characters will appeal to younger audiences. However, despite getting the basics right, some gameplay and overall design concerns lead the game down a few wrong foxholes.

Severe performance problems and a misguided implementation of Souls mechanics in Darksiders 3 tarnish an otherwise perfunctory, but at least occasionally enjoyable return to one of last generation's better action series.

A poor story, writing and performances coupled with outdated quest design make King's Bounty II a tough game to play through. Turn-based battles are enjoyable but can't make up for the game's numerous issues.

The smattering of flaws aside, NBA Playgrounds manages to be a fun multiplayer street hoops experience that is at least partially successful in recapturing the charm of NBA Jam. Player decks and lottery pick meter are subtle but effective elements to help give the game a bit of its own character.

Uncovering the past has its ups and downs in The Suicide of Rachel Foster. While not a horror game, it only needed a slight nudge to become one and it would have been better for it. At least its roomy hotel setting is nice to explore, even if the world needed more detail and excitement.

Skull and Bones may have survived the turbulent seas of its long voyage to release, but the end result is a game that's barely kept afloat by its solid sailing mechanics, while the uninspiring content, underwhelming presentation, and poor multiplayer design punch far too many holes in the hull.

Moonglow Bay starts strong with its emotional story and initially solid gameplay loop of fishing and cooking. Unfortunately, bugs and the lack of variety quickly become its downfall, resulting in an experience that grows more bland and frustrating to play the further you progress.

Chocobo GP is a solid kart racer that includes familiar gameplay mechanics and even adds a few welcome extras that give this game its own flavour. However, despite Final Fantasy’s long list of some of gaming's finest locations and characters, Chocobo GP has a surprising lack of content compared to other games in the same price range.

Strikers Edge has some decent mechanics at its core, but a lack of gameplay modes, short campaign and deserted online scene make this essentially a barebones local multiplayer title with a high asking price.

A tycoon game about building a bar for vampires is a great idea - but sadly the execution here leaves a lot to be desired. The management gameplay is a bit too simple for my liking, but it's the constant game-breaking bugs that really suck the fun out of the experience.

The 2022 reboot of Saints Row manages to put together a decently engaging crew, but just about everything else is a litany of issues - from shallow and repetitive missions to unsatisfying action mechanics, poor presentation, and plenty of bugs.

Empire of Sin gets lost in a maze of design decisions that lead to an unfocused and sprawling game. The management and RPG mechanics cannibalize each other, meaning that neither works on its own and they definitely don’t work well together.

Call of Cthulhu has a lot of things going for it, with a unique take on the genre and some solid scares on offer. Horror fans should give it a look, but you're going to have to be patient with its blemishes.

Garage: Bad Trip is an unrelenting barrage of camp horror and ridiculous action sequences whose grungy VHS aesthetic will likely appeal to cult-movie enthusiasts, while also managing to be well-structured, accessible top down shooter with its very own grotesque thrills.